KEY WEST, Fla. - Florida was braced for a double impact as Hurricane Charley gained strength and Tropical Storm Bonnie was expected to make landfall on Thursday afternoon, accompanied by torrential rains and flash floods.
A state of emergency was declared for all of Florida as the one-two punch raged closer, the first time the state has faced such a potentially messy plight in almost 100 years. The storms caused airlines and cruise companies to alter flights and cruises, while oil companies in the Gulf of Mexico evacuated 2,500 workers from offshore platforms.
A steady line of traffic drove north off the Keys late Wednesday as visitors followed orders to evacuate the entire 100-mile-long island chain.
Bonnie was forecast to hit at least 12 hours earlier than Hurricane Charley. Schools and government offices were closed and Gov. Jeb Bush activated 8,000 National Guardsmen to prepare for the worst.
Hurricane and tropical storm warnings stretched from the Panhandle to northwest Florida. Isolated tornadoes were also possible. Flood watches extended north to Pennsylvania and New York.
Charley was expected to reach storm winds of 100 to 115 mph when it makes landfall Friday, with storm surges of up to 10 feet along the Southwest coast of Florida.
Flooding fears along Panhandle
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